Tooth Extraction Leads to ICU Stay and Legal Settlement

Patient Left with Fractured Jaw After Dental Procedure

UK: According to a recent report from Birmingham Mail, a routine dental extraction turned into a medical emergency for Saira Malik, a 54-year-old civil servant from south-west London. The procedure resulted in a fractured jaw, significant hemorrhaging, and an intensive care hospital stay, ultimately leading to an £8,500 compensation settlement.

Timeline of Events

The report details that Malik had been a patient at the dental practice since 2009. In 2016, she made multiple visits complaining of toothache but was told there was no decay. By 2018, the pain had become severe, and she was informed that her upper right tooth required extraction due to significant decay.

During a September 2019 extraction procedure, after being administered Valium, Malik experienced severe complications. “While they were doing the extraction, they were pulling and shoving and it wasn’t coming out, and then eventually I heard a ‘click’ noise and it was just bleeding thoroughly,” she recounted to Birmingham Mail. The situation quickly deteriorated, with Malik describing “buckets of blood” before losing consciousness.

Medical Consequences

The procedure’s complications were substantial. Malik woke up in intensive care to discover that a significant piece of bone had been removed along with her tooth. She required reconstructive jaw surgery and was restricted to a liquid diet for months following the incident. “When I woke up in hospital, I was in the intensive care unit. I was on machines to stop the bleeding and I was told my jaw was fractured,” she stated.

While the dental practice agreed to an £8,500 settlement in May 2024, they maintained their position of no wrongdoing. In their statement, they emphasized: “We would like to make it clear that we do not agree with the facts as conveyed by the Dental Law Partnership, but we cannot provide details of this patient’s treatment and management because of our professional duty to protect the confidentiality of our patients.”

Long-Term Impact

The incident has had lasting effects on Malik’s relationship with dental care. “I’m still traumatised, I still haven’t been able to walk into a dentist since then – and that is a worry because I know I’ll need to,” she explained. She now advocates for patient advocacy, encouraging others to seek second opinions when necessary.

The compensation has provided some closure for Malik. As reported by Birmingham Mail, she reflected: “I feel that by receiving the settlement, it shows that something has been done and I wasn’t just forgotten about.” She chose to use the settlement funds for a family trip to Egypt to celebrate her grandson’s first birthday.